Texas Instruments Profit Manager BA-20 Desktop Calculator

The hard-plastic buttons are completely flat, responsive, and large enough to avoid accidental presses. That's a good thing, because if you make a mistake while entering data into this unit you'll have to correct the old-fashioned way by clearing the entire line instead of simply pressing a backspace key. There are dedicated +/-, Percentage, and Square-Root keys, along with the usual assortment of memory buttons. What gives this product its Profit Manager name are the six blue buttons above the main keypad that provide shortcut access to profit margin, sales, and cost calculations. This lets you enter any two of three variables and the calculator computes the third variable. The BA-20 also supports constants, simplifying repetitious calculations.

Although the BA-20 will appeal to users looking for simplicity of operation, there are a few drawbacks to consider before committing to a purchase. The calculator is a little too wide to serve comfortably as a handheld device, but that is secondary to our concerns about the unit's build quality. The display is covered by a clear panel that is glued to the case, but the one on our review sample had popped out of its mounting during shipping. We tried to reseat it but one side always jutted from the case slightly more than the other side. It's a minor point, but definitely something to check for if you order this otherwise capable product. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Cost-sell-margin keys quickly compute the third variable when the other two are entered
• Sleek design looks sharp on a desktop

Cons:

• Suspect build quality
• Few features